Tanzania: TRA confers with agencies over EFD prices

 

27 April 2014 

The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has resumed a training programme directed at the business community in a second phase on the viable use of the Electronic Tax Register (ETR), The Guardian on Sunday can report.

The device that is principally used by retail business that issue receipts manually is among the three electronic fiscal devices (EFDs) which the government had introduced in recent years to targeted individual enterprises and companies doing businesses in the country. The machines have been designed for use in business for efficient management controls in areas of sales analysis and stock control system to facilitate revenue collection which conforms to requirements specified by the laws.
 
TRA Director for Taxpayer Services and Education, Richard Kayombo said in Dar es Salaam that the drive is meant to create awareness on the importance of EFDs to the general public and business groups from village level to regional level, with participation of district councils. He told the Guardian on Sunday in an exclusive interview on Wednesday that seminars are being conducted in various parts of the country, part of a continuous program organized on a block management system targeting various community groups.
 
TRA is also negotiating with 11 companies which it had offered tender to distribute the devices countrywide, with a view to reducing their prices. He said that a TRA team is currently reviewing the cost quotations with distributing agencies to review the Sh 900,000 price quotation to bring it down to Sh 600,000 or slightly above. Once the new price levels are effected, buyers would pay on instalments on agreed terms of payments, or they might acquire loan facilities from banks or SACCOS to purchase directly.
 
Traders have over the past year staged demonstrations and shop closures to protest orders of using cash registers, complaining about their steep prices.
 
 
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY